Velour fabric articles having one or more fleece or raised surface regions at one surface or at both surfaces, e.g., achieved by processes of sanding, brushing and/or napping of exposed fibers, are known to have good insulation performance under static conditions, i.e., in calm or still air with no wind blowing through the fabric. However, the insulating performance of these fabric articles drops rapidly under dynamic conditions, i.e., in a chilling wind. As a result, a consumer wearing a velour fabric article will often find it necessary to also wear a shell, e.g., of woven nylon or other low permeability material, when conditions are likely to be windy.
It is also known to increase the thermal insulation performance of velour fabric articles by incorporating a relatively coarser stitch yarn and/or by tightening the stitch. However, these approaches result in fabric articles with very poor stretch, increased stiffness and increased weight.